


Last Breath

by TheWhitePaladin (orphan_account)



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Dark Forest, place of no stars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-19 00:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11301654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/TheWhitePaladin
Summary: Tigerstar has been taken down and defeated by the small yet mighty Scourge. Expecting to come back to life, the large brown tabby has something completely different in store for him.





	Last Breath

Tigerstar felt the unseen fire rage around him as he breathed his last breath, his chest finally falling still. His now unseeing eyes gazed up at the stars of SilverPelt as Scourge’s black fur drowned out the moon. Blazing blue eyes reflected the blood splattering the ground as Tigerstar’s vision was filled with a smoky black haze. This haze seemed to create the form of shadows and trees around him, as though he had been transported back to the Thunderclan forest. The air itself seemed to be teeming with activity, making Tigerstar’s fur stand on end. Slowly standing up and shaking the ache out of his bones, the massive brown tabby looked around him. The forest seemed to be engulfed in an eternal night with no stars to be seen for miles.

“Hello?” he mewed softly, not wanting to admit his own apprehension to himself.

Silence greeted him, as he expected. Beginning to move his paws forward, he made his way through the dying forest branches that covered the sky, reaching out like bony claws. Looking behind him, he noticed that whatever part of the ground his paw pads touched died and wilted, turning an ashy black. Flicking his ears, Tigerstar continued on, growing more accustomed to dodging and climbing the rotting tree roots that littered the forest floor.

Without warning, the former Shadowclan leader heard fast footsteps approaching through the underbrush before a lithe grey blur smashed into his side, throwing him to the ground. Claws dug into his throat as he gasped for air and let out a low snarl. Bringing his own paws up and unsheathing his claws, he raked them across his attacker’s nose, hearing a satisfying yowl of pain. Yet, the unknown cat didn’t let go of the long brown fur under him.

Tigerstar hissed in frustration. “You will release me unless you want the fur ripped out of your pelt!” he spat, lunging forward to shove his attacker off of him. His belly still sore, yet healed, from Scourge’s death blow slowed him down enough for his opponent to once again takes advantage of him. As he crashed to the dead forest floor once more, a blood red moon peeked through the clouds above, casting a hazy red sheen on the face of his pursuer.

Tigerstar’s amber eyes widened in shock. “Thistleclaw?”

His old mentor finally let him up, swishing his tail back and forth in a gesture of remaining aggression. “I taught you better than that, Tigerpaw,” Thistleclaw growled. “You fight like a kit.”

Tigerstar bowed his head, his neck fur bristling. Thistleclaw padded closer to him, giving a small sniff of disapproval. “You had quite the nasty fall, my apprentice,” he said, his voice a bit softer. There was no pity to be found, but the tone of voice was unusual for the normally violent former deputy. “You left your belly exposed,” he continued, his mew hardening again. “You made a stupid mistake and now here you are.”

The brown tabby looked up finally, staring into the eyes of the grey and white cat before him. “Where exactly…is here?” he snarled, emphasizing each word with a step closer to his mentor. Thistleclaw, unimpressed, kept his ears high and his eyes stern.

“This is the Place of No Stars, Tigerstar,” he meowed. “The Dark Forest.”

This stopped Tigerstar in his tracks. “The Dark Forest? Wh-…I should not be here!”

“You’re dead, fox-breath!” Thistleclaw yowled in his face. “That puny kit killed you with one blow! I did not train you to be so weak-“

“Thistleclaw!” a voice called.

Tigerstar hissed as a small yet brawny she-cat padded out to meet the two quarreling toms. “That’s enough,” she growled at Thistleclaw, clearly unpleased with how he was berating the larger tabby. Turning to Tigerstar, her green eyes narrowed. “You must be Tigerstar.”

Tigerstar flicked his tail. “Yes. Who are you?” 

The she-cat blinked. “My name is Mapleshade. I was one of the first to make a home here. Come.”

She beckoned with her tail for the two to follow, Thistleclaw by her side and Tigerstar slightly behind. “You aren’t the main event anymore, Tigerstar,” Mapleshade said. “I’m the one in charge around here and threatening my authority could have dire consequences for you.”

Tigerstar snarled. “Who died and made you leader, huh?” he hissed, his pride damaged.

Mapleshade paused, turning back with a stoic expression on her face. “Everyone I killed, of course.”

Tigerstar blinked, speechless for once in his nine lives.

“You will do what I say, as I say,” Mapleshade continued, moving forward again. “One day you may reach higher ranks but until that day comes, I am the one you answer to, do I make myself understood?”

“Yes…” Tigerstar hissed, not please whatsoever with the change of events. As they walked through the dense forest and entered a large clearing, Tigerstar could see various cats sitting and watching them come in. They had a tar-like substance covering their paws and their scarred ears were back at the sight of a newcomer. The brown tabby looked around with golden eyes at each and every one of them; they would soon come to learn he was a force to be reckoned with. One day, he would take down Mapleshade, just as he did the old Shadowclan leader, and every single one of these scrawny excuses for felines would be under his command.

He was sure of it.


End file.
